Kerr on podium, Bruno out at championships

In the first two days of competition at the Canadian Orienteering Champions, Whistlers Alex Kerr had already claimed gold and bronze medals.

On the third day of the competition outside of Edmonton, July 12, he had enough left to win another gold on the short course in just 23 minutes  a full 20 minutes faster than the course setters had anticipated.

Marie-Catherine Bruno, another Whistler competitor with a bronze to her credit at the championships, was carried from the course on a stretcher in sight of the finish line.

"I knew it was going to be a very difficult race in this heat, but I thought I could ignore the pain for the short distance event," said Bruno. "After all, its only 25 minutes.

"But the course was slightly longer and 31 minutes into the race, with only 300 metres to go, my legs started feeling very wobbly and I started seeing stars. At that point I knew it was going to be a question of survival. I was halfway through a thick marsh and I knew I had to get out of there, otherwise they would never find me. I made it to a trail, with only 70 metres to go in the race, where I collapsed."

Bruno was found unconscious, and rushed to the hospital where she was treated for heat stroke.